On The Fly: Students From Sandy Hook In Newtown To Sing At Super Bowl

A very sweet gesture by the NFL: USA Today reports the league has asked 26 students from Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown to perform "America the Beautiful" during the Super Bowl pregame show. The newspaper said the league will fly the students and their families to New Orleans. Another example of a league that gets it, and is always there to help heal after a tragedy. Make sure to have some tissues nearby. ... Referee Jerome Boger will lead the Super Bowl officiating crew, only the second African American in that role in the game's history, according to the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), a group of minority coaches, front-office personnel, scouting and game day officials. Last week the group called for the expansion of the Rooney Rule, which requires minority candidates to be interviewed for head coaching and GM jobs in the NFL. The group wanted it extended to other positions, especially after eight coaches were named, none a minority. Some officials who spoke to Yahoo! Sports questioned Boger's assignment to this year's game, to which FPA Chairman John Wooten said, "The attacks on his selection are unfair, inaccurate and offensive."

Dario Franchitti of Indy 500 fame and actress Ashley Judd are breaking up after 11 years of marriage. ... Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man behind the Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax, told Dr. Phil McGraw that he was in love with Te'o but Te'o had no part in the scheme. A two-part interview will be broadcast Thursday and Friday. ... In other news of people we're sick of hearing about, Lance Armstrong, asked by cyclingnews.com if he felt he was the "fall guy for an entire sport/system," said yes. ... "Go A-Way" is the New York Daily News headline on A-Rod's latest steroids allegations, although it could apply to Tuiasosopo and Armstrong, too.

Steve Politi, a columnist at the Star-Ledger in New Jersey, writing on Ray Lewis: "The only way he could hijack this Super Bowl more would be to declare that he's actually a third Harbaugh brother, and that mom and pop loved him the best." ... The San Jose Mercury News wrote about two 49ers fans who wired $5,900 to a Baltimore Ravens fan for Super Bowl tickets for themselves and family members and got nothing in return except this: "Go Ravens! LOL!" Between Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard and the 49ers, there are now five tickets for the family. That's great, but why would they wire money to a Ravens fan?

Xavier High QB Tim Boyle was headed to Boston College, but with the Eagles' offensive philosophy changing under Steve Addazio, the BC coach gave him permission to look around. He could end up at UConn.